BY the death of Sir William Milligan, on 19th December, 1929, at the age of 65, the Manchester, Salford and District Branch has lost its Chairman, the Insti- tution one of its Vice-Presidents, and the whole Life-boat Service one of its most generous and devoted friends.

The Branch was singularly fortunate in having as its Chairman a man of such pre-eminence in his own profession— his reputation as art ear and throat specialist was world-wide—who com- bined with his great professional skill such high gifts for administration and public service. Sir William Milligan became the Chairman of the Branch in 1920, and during the nine years of his Chairmanship, busy man though he was, he was never too busy to give his help to the Branch. He took a par- ticularly active part in the organisation of the Centenary Bazaar of the Branch, which in three days raised over £10,000, this special gift to the Institution being used to provide the Motor Life-boat, Manchester and Salford, stationed at Douglas, in the Isle of Man. Sir William Milligan was always ready with sugges- tion, advice and personal service, and his unfailing courtesy and kindness, and the value of his help, will be remembered with deep gratitude and affection by all who worked with him in Man- chester and Salford for the Life-boat Cause.

Beyond the work of the Branch he was always ready to serve the Institu- tion. He represented it on numerous occasions, and was known in many places in the North of England as a Life-boat speaker. Some months before his death he had a serious operation.

He promised, not long afterwards, to represent the Institution at the pre- sentation of the Centenary Vellum awarded to the Station at Ramsey in the Isle of Man. His doctor warned him that he ran considerable risk in taking a sea-passage. Sir William saw the Insti- tution's Organiser in the North of England, and told him what the doctor had said. He added that he had pro- mised to go, and that he would go, risk or no risk, if it were too late to find someone to take his place. If, however, he did not go to Ramsey, there was another Life-boat Centenary at which he had been asked to represent the Institution on the same day at Whitby, and he would attend that instead. That incident was characteristic of his fine spirit, his loyalty and devotion. When he spoke at the Annual Meeting of the Institution in London in 1928, at which the Prince of Wales presided, he began his speech with the words: " The Institution has a very warm corner indeed in the hearts of the people of Northern England; and well it may, considering the part which the North has played in its fortunes and vicissi- tudes." None showed the warmth of that feeling more truly than Sir William Milligan himself, and he will always be honourably remembered for his own generous share in the fortunes of the Life-boat Service in the North of England..